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Avalanche players develop 'game mentality' in workouts

Colorado coach Joe Sacco will take control of the team today

By Mike Chambers The Denver Post

Posted:
01/12/2013 10:45:08 PM MST

Updated:
01/12/2013 10:45:09 PM MST

Minus the big hits and a large crowd, Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson felt like an NHL player during the last four months. He had no key to the lockout, but nevertheless was very active playing elite-level hockey in North America.

The Minnesota native skated four or five times per week at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, home of the University of Minnesota women's team. Twenty-five to 35 NHL players -- including the majority of the Minnesota Wild -- hired referees and "went at it," Johnson said, with the losing team buying the ice.

"We had that game mentality. Nobody wanted to lose," Johnson said of the skates that included 30 minutes of timing and conditioning drills. "It was a really good skate, and I think most guys were doing something like that."

Most Avalanche players had similar opportunities to stay in shape for the season and prepare for a shortened 48-game season that has all 30 teams in the "playoff hunt" -- and, as Johnson said, "in the same boat."

Every team's opening day is Saturday.

"Everybody is starting the same day. Everybody has had some guys playing in Europe. Everyone will be in the same situation right off the bat," Johnson said.

Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov and forwards Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog played in Europe during part of the lockout. Stastny also spent time at his alma mater, the University of Denver, skating with forwards Milan Hejduk and David Jones, goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, new defenseman Greg Zanon and other NHL players living in the area.

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The DU skate wasn't as intense as what went on in Minneapolis, with the locals playing more "shinny" hockey -- a creative, nonphysical, keep-away brand -- but since the Avs began returning to town last week and skating together at their official practice facility, the Family Sports Center, Giguere said purpose was applied to every session.

"We're trying to get some good habits going. We're not hitting yet, but we're trying to do stop and starts and get away from the mentality of shinny hockey, which has been the last four or five months," Giguere said. "The quicker we do that, the better we start."

Landeskog, who replaced Hejduk as team captain last summer, said the Avs have focused on playing hard-nosed hockey since captain's practice opened Tuesday, about 48 hours after the lockout ended. The informal skates became more serious every day.

"You need to get away from looping, and make quick turns, stops and starts, and protect the puck and battle in the corners -- all the stuff you don't really do in shinny hockey," said Landeskog, 20, the reigning NHL rookie of the year. "So we'll definitely focus on that and ramp it up as we go along."

Starting today, Avs coach Joe Sacco and his staff take control.

"We'll monitor it as we go along. Day by day, we'll look to increase the workout," Sacco said. "Some guys have been playing overseas, so some guys are in better game shape. Some guys didn't have any luxury of playing overseas or playing in any leagues here, and those guys will obviously need more time. ... At the same time, we don't have a lot of time to wait. We're looking for guys that are ready to play right off the hop. That sense of urgency, you'll see it right from Day One in camp."

Forwards Jamie McGinn and PA Parenteau are looking forward to their first start-to-finish seasons with the Avalanche.

McGinn, 24, was terrific after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks late last year, producing eight goals and 13 points in 17 games. He trained in hockey-rich Ontario, Canada, with local junior and pro players during the lockout.

"I want to pick up right where I left off. It was nice to get the opportunity here and hopefully I'll pick up right where I left off last year," McGinn said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. Everybody is in the playoff hunt right now, everyone itching to win games. It's going to be important to start strong."

Parenteau, 29, signed a four-year, $16 million free-agent contract with the Avs in July. From Hull, Quebec, Parenteau spent most of the lockout with family members and his girlfriend, and skating with his brother's college team in Moncton, New Brunswick.

"I skated three or four times a week. Pretty good caliber," said Parenteau, whose full name is Pierre-Alexandr. "I did most practices with them, and gave them a hand. I'm definitely not in game shape. If you don't play any real hockey, you're not going to be in game shape for a couple weeks.

"But we have all this week to get ready, and then the training camp. I think we should be fine."

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